Apparatus for receiving, conveying, and weighing articles



Dec. 3, 1957 M. E. TOBY 2,815,139

APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING, CONVEYING AND WEIGHING ARTICLES Filed Dec. 7, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 go E / INVENTOR Dec. 3, 1957 M. E. TOBY 2,815,139

APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING, CONVEYING Aim WEIGHING ARTICLES Filed Dec. 7, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 97 m4 m2 is 4 /4 I; IEI 4 I 1|! 4i T a //6 2 5 :I i L /0/ 'll/II/II INVENTOR MAX 5 7650 United States Patent i OfiFice 2,8l5,li9 Patented Dec. 3, 195? APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING, CONVEYING, AND WEIGHING ARTICLES Max E. Toby, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to Package Enterprises, Inc., Oakland, Calif., a corporation of California Application December 7, 1953, Serial No. 396,630 13 Claims. (Cl. 214-151) This invention is directed towards machines for transferring an article from one position to another, and is more particularly related to unitary apparatus capable of receiving a stack of articles and conveying said stack to the platform of a scale or to any other desired mecharusm.

In a prior application, Serial No. 250,370, filed October 8, 1951, now Patent No. 2,708,539 issued May 17, 1955, and entitled Apparatus and Method of Receiving and Bagging Articles, I disclosed a machine arranged to receive a stack of articles, such as meat slices from a slicing machine, rotate the stack along a measured. arcuate path, and then force the stack into a bag which had been previously placed on a bag mandrel on the machine, While this machine adequately serves the purpose for which it was designed, it has been found that in many installations it is necessary or desirable to weigh the respective stacks as. rapidly as the stacks are formed whereby the operator may readily determine whether the stacks are overweight or underweight. In view of. the fact that the slicer with which the weighing apparatus may be utilized may be cutting approximately 250 slices of meat or other products per minute, and assum ing each stack consists of 8 slices, it will be necessary to transfer and weigh a stack approximately every two seconds. While such a rate may not appear particularly fast for individual objects, it must be considered that transferring a plurality of objects superimposed upon each other in stacked relation presents additional problems in maintaining the slices in the respective stacks in proper alignment.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide transfer mechanism including meansfor receiving a stack of articles and moving a completed stack from the receiving position to a discharge position, and thence depositing said stack onto a suitable scale platform or other apparatus.

Another object of my invention is to provide apparatus of the character described in which means are prodi'ved for positively insuring the transfer of stacks onto the scale platform without disturbing the alignment of the slices in the stack and without danger of any portions of the apparatus engaging the stack so as to interfere with accurate weighing.

A further object of this invention is to provide mechanism as above described which is compact and relatively simple to construct and maintain, and which is arranged to go through an operative cycle upon actuation of any suitable impulse from a slicer or other remotely disposed machine.

A still further object of the invention is to provide mechanism of the type described which is: capable of rapidly going through a complete operative cycle in. a positive and elficient manner whereby themovable articlereceiving element willdischarge its stack and return. to its receiving position. in condition to receive the slices which will, subsequently form the next stack,

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. it is to be understood, however, that variations in the showing made by the said drawings and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to: said. drawings:

Figure 1 is atop plan view of the apparatus of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus shown: in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view, in section, and taken substantially in the plane indicated by line 3-3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a plan sectional view taken in the plane of line 4--4 of Figure 3 Figure 5 is a plan sectional. view taken substantially in the plane indicated by line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a. perspective view of a portion of one of the clutches and clutch actuating mechanism.

. The apparatus of. the present invention was particularly designed for use in connection with an intermittent type of meat slicer, although it will become apparent that this; mechanism could be used in many other installations where an object or a vertical stack of objects must be rapidly and; accurately conveyed between two spaced locations. As is well known in the art, an intermittent slicer is designed to cut a predetermined number of slices, e. g. eight, and then cease slicing for a measured time interval so as to permit removal of the slices which were deposited in the form of a vertical stack. The apparatus presently to be described is arranged to receive the respective slices asthey fall from the slicer, and then move the slices: and deposit the latter on a scale weighing platform and return to receive the next stack of slices during. the idling cycle of the slicer. Thus, the timing of this apparatus must be correlated to the timing of the slicer.

Referring now to the drawings, there is provided a horizontally movable article-receiving platform, hereinafter referred toas. avane 12, normally positioned subjacent the discharge end of a slicer or other source of article supply, not shown. As will presently be explained, vane 12,. after receiving; an. article or a stack of articles on the upper surface thereof, while in the position shown in. Figure 1, is rotated clockwise through an arc of substantially degrees, and while the vane is returning to its receiving position. with a counterclockwise rotation, the articles are wiped olf of the vane and deposited on a scale platform. 13 through theaction of a Wiper member 14..

The particular type of scale utilized constitutes no part of the present invention, and may include a second platform 16' on which a desired counterweight may be placed, a cross arm 17, and: a vertically extending portion 18 having a window 19 through which the pointer and scale figures may be read. Inmany cases, it is sufficient if the scale merelly indicates an underweight or overweight condition'.

To support the vane, its operating mechanism, and the scale in their proper verticalposition, I provide a table 21 having legs 22, cross-bracing 23', and vertically adjustable casters 24. A horizontal table top 26 is provided with cradle elements 27 to releasably receive the scale, and a casing or housing 28 which carries the operative mechanism of the receiving and transferring apparatus is likewise supported on table top 26. As will be observed, housing 28 includes sidewalls 29 and a top wall 31 Whereby such mechanism may be substantially completely ensubstantially closed with the exception of those portions which are engageable by the stacked meat slices or other articles.

As hereinabove mentioned, vane 12, as shown in Figure 1, is positioned subjacent the discharge end of a slicer, whereby slices from the latter will be uniformly stacked on the upper surface of the vane which is preferably provided with a plurality of concentric arcuate raised portions 36 which facilitate the conveying and removal of the stack from the vane. The vane is caused to move substantially ninety degrees in a clockwise direction or in a position overlying scale platform 13. Upon return movement of the vane, one of the plurality of wipers 14 will be in a stack intercepting position whereby the stack will be restrained frorn movement with the vane and hence dropped onto the platform of the scale. The operator may then readily observe if the stack is too light or too heavy, or if it is correct, remove it from the scale platform for wrapping, bagging or any other desired operation. It will be appreciated that the wipers 14 must also rotate in a clockwise direction so that none of the wipers will engage the stack prior to the return movement of the vane. However, for purpose of explanation, the operating mechanism for the vane will first be discussed inde pendent of the relatively complex wiper action.

Commencing with the drive end of the mechanism, there is provided within the housing 28 a motor 41 whose shaft carries a sheave or sprocket 42. A belt 43 is operatively connected to sheave 42 as well as to a sheave 44 carried on one end of a horizontal shaft 46 which is supported in spaced bearings 47. As best seen in Figure 5, an intermediate portion of shaft 46 is provided with a worm 48 engageable with a worm gear 49, the latter being journalled on a vertically disposed drive shaft 51. Shaft 51 is journalled in a lower bearing 52 and adjacent the latter is provided with a fixedly secured bottom clutch member 53. It is important that some means be provided for permitting intermittent movement of the mechanism so that the latter will be actuated only upon receiving some impulse that the proper number of articles have been deposited upon the vane. In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, the bottom clutch 53 is engageable with an upper driven clutch member 56 for a single revolution, and only upon actuation of a solenoid 57. The solenoid may be operatively connected to a micro-switch on the slicer in a manner well known in the art so that when the slicer has delivered a predetermined number of slices onto vane 12, the solenoid plunger 58 will be retracted and effect interengagement of the clutch members.

Upper clutch member 56 is mounted for axial movement on shaft 51, which is provided with an upper bearing 61. The member 56 is normally urged downwardly towards its engaged position by one or more springs 62 engageable with the member and with a fixed collar 63 secured to shaft 51. Notwithstanding the pressure of springs 62, the two clutch members are normally maintained in inoperative position by means of a diametrically extending lug 64 on clutch member 56 engaging a clutch cam or dog 66. So long as the dog 66 is in the position indicated in Figure 3 of the drawing there will be no engagement of the clutch, and consequently no movement of the vane and wiper assembly. 7

Therefore, means are provided for moving the clutch dog upon actuation of the solenoid plunger. As best indicated in Figures 3, and 6 of the drawings, clutch cam or dog 66 is carried at the upper end of a yoked member 68 mounted for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis through a pivot pin 69 carried in a pair of brackets 73. fixed to the housing. By rocking member 68 about pin 69 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in the drawings, the cam surface will be removed from the lug 6d, and the clutch members will be forced into engagement. A system of toggle linkage is utilized to accomplish the foregoing, and may include a pair of arms 72 pivotally attached to member 68 by a pin 73 at one end and pivotally attached at the other end to solenoid plunger 75 2,815,139 v v I 7 4 arm 58. A pair of arms 74 have one set of ends pivotally attached to arms 72 by a pin 76 and the other ends pivotally attached to fixed brackets 77 by a pin 78. In this manner, actuation of the solenoid will effect raising of the plunger 58, a breakage of the toggle joint, a clockwise rotation of member 68 and its associated cam, and engagement of the clutch teeth. As the clutch member 56 and its shaft 51 complete a single revolution, the clutch lug 64 will again ride upwardly upon the cam surface 66 and engage a stop pin 81, thereby stopping further rotation of the shaft 51. To insure the proper repositioning of member 68 while the upper clutch member is being rotated, I provide a spring 82 to forcibly urge the cam surface 66 in counterclockwise direction about the pin 69.

From the foregoing description, it will be understood that every time solenoid 57 is actuated, the shaft 51 will be carried through one complete revolution. During this single revolution, means are provided operatively interconnecting said shaft and vane 12 to cause the latter to rotate ninety degrees and return. Mounted on the upper end of shaft 51 is a crank in the form of a disk 86 which carries a vertically disposed stub shaft 87 adjacent the periphery thereof. Said stub shaft serves as a journal for one end of an arm 88 whose other end is pivotally attached by a pin 89 to a horizontally disposed segment disk 91 carried on a freely journaled shaft 92. As will be seen, vane 12 is secured to the outer portions of the segment disk by screws 93 or the like. Thus, as viewed in Figure 4, during the first degrees of rotation of disk 86 in the direction of the arrow (and from the rest position indicated in said figure), arm 88 will be moved to the left, resulting in segment disk 91, vane 12 and shaft 92 being rotated clockwise for ninety degrees. The second half of the rotary cycle of disk 86 will reverse the movement of arm 88, disk 91, vane 12 and shaft 92 and bring such members back to their position of rest. It should be appreciated that the arrangement just described will result in substantially true harmonic motion being imparted to the vane in both directions of its rotation. Thus, there will be no danger of a sudden acceleration or deceleration which would tend to improperly displace the stack on the vane.

With the foregoing structure described, reference may be had to the wiper members 14, here shown as four in number, which are equally spaced about the axis of shaft 92. Wipers 14 are carried on an annular head member 96, by means of screws 97, and as will be noted, the wipers are in the form of blades extending generally tangential to member 96 whereby the respective wipers may be brought into substantial parallelism with the leading edge of the scale platform and in a position to intercept the slice stack upon return movement of the vane. The lower edge of the wipers are of course disposed in a horizontal plane slightly above the plane of the vane so as to not interfere with the motion of the latter while still being in position to engage the lowermost slice in the stack.

In operation, it is necessary that the wipers are rotated clockwise for at least ninety degrees upon similar rotation of the vane. However, upon return movement of the vane, the wipers must remain stationary, so that the wiper adjacent the scale platform will intercept the slices on the vane and cause them to fall upon the scale platform. In other words, while the vane oscillates back and forth along its limited arcuate path the wipers are merely advanced approximately ninety degrees during each oscillation of the vane. As will be later explained in detail, the wipers are also given a slight additional clockwise and counterclockwise movement at the end of their stroke.

In view of the different types of movement between the vane and wipers, it is necessary to have head member 96 freely journalled on shaft 92; yet to synchronize the movements of said members, movement of the vane must in some way be imparted to the wipers. As here indicated, a pawl 101 is pivotally attached to segment disk 91 by a pin 102, said pawl beingnormally urged in a counterclockwise rotation by a torsion spring 103. A plurality of equally spaced pins 104, four in number, depend from head member 96 whereby the leading edge 106 of the pawl is normally in engagement with one of the pins 104, the torsion spring 103 permitting clockwise movement of the pawl to permit sequential engagement of the pins. Thus, as segment disk 91 is caused to rotate through a ninety degree are as previously explained, the pawl bearing against one of the pins would rotate head member 96 and its attached wipers through a similar ninety degrees of rotation. However, as the head member 96 is freely journaled on shaft 92, the rotary momentum imparted to a pin 104 would tend to impart an uncertain amount of additional free rotation to the wipers. Therefore, a second pawl 112 having a V-shaped groove 113 is positioned wherein a surface 114 of the groove intercepts one of the pins 104. As will be seen, pawl 112 is pivotally carried on a plate 116 by means of a pin 117, the pawl being normally urged in a counterclockwise direction by a torsion spring 118. Plate 116 is pivotally attached to the frame as indicated at 119, a tension spring 121 normally pulling the plate and its associated pawl in a clockwise direction.

Oscillation of plate 116 is effected by providing the latter with a roller or cam follower 126 which is arranged to engage a cam surface 127 on arm 88 which forms a continuation of a grooved portion 128 and an inclined portion 130 of the arm. The position of the parts is such that upon initial movement of arm 88 and the first portion of clockwise rotation of vane 12, roller 126 will be disposed in spaced relation to all of the confronting surfaces of arm 88, and the vane and wiper will be advanced through 90 degrees. However, as crank 86 passes 180 degrees of rotation, the arm will be raised and moved into a position wherein cam surface 127 will engage roller 126 and tend to raise the latter, and will move pawl 112 in a clockwise direction wherein a pawl groove surface 129 will advance the pin 104 and consequently the wipers past their ninety degrees of rotation for approximately an additional six degrees. As the arm 88 continues its movement to the right and while the vane is still. moving counterclockwise towards its position of rest, roller 126 will engage arm portion 130 which is inclined so as to merely hold the roller and consequently the wipers in their advanced position. Finally, when the vane has almost returned to its rest position, the roller will be disposed adjacent the cut-out portion 128 of the arm, but spaced from the same, whereby spring 121 may rock plate 116 and permit plate 126 audits associated spring loaded pawl to be similarly moved, with the surface 114 of the pawl moving pin 104 back approximately six degrees.

This latter construction is extremely important in the successful operation of the mechanism, for this slight advance of the wipers at the time that the vane is just leaving the scale platform, adds a little kick to move 0 the slices onto the scale platform. Similarly, the retraction of the wipers insure that none of the slices will be touching or hanging on to the wiper during the weighing of the slices. In other words, the interception of the slices by the wiper is performed when the wiper is in its most advanced position. Then, the wiper is retracted or moved counterclockwise a few degrees to clear itself from the stack and permit a true scale reading. Although each wiper is advanced approximately 96 degrees during each operative cycle, it is returned six degrees, for a not advance of 90 degrees.

Briefly reviewing the operation of the apparatus, it will be recalled that a cycle is commenced by actuation of the solenoid 57 which operatively connects clutch elements 53 and 56 for a single revolution. The rotation of the clutch is imparted through the crank disk 86 and arm 88 to the stack supporting vane 12 causing the latter to rotate clockwise for ninety degrees and then return.

During the advance of the vane, the wipers 14 are similarly advanced for slightly more than ninety degrees and serve to intercept the stack. on the vane during the return of the latter and depositing the stack on the scale platform 13. The wipers are then moved rearwardly a few degrees to prevent any contact thereof with the trailing edges of the slices. as the latter are being weighed.

From the foregoing description, both the constructional and operational features of my invention should be clear. The apparatus has been proven to perform its requisite functions over extended periods of time with little or no maintenance difiiculties, and has resulted in faster and more economical stack handling and weighing plant operations.

I claim:

1. Article receiving and conveying apparatus comprising a vane-shaped member having a horizontally disposed upper article-receiving surface, means for rotating said member in a horizontal plane between a first and second position and back to said first position, a Wiper element having a lower edge surface lying in a horizontal plane slightly above the plane of said receiving surface, means permitting relative horizontal movement between said member and said element whereby said element may be selectively positioned over and spaced from said surface, means for rotating said wiper element in substantial synchronism with said member as the latter moves from said first position to said second position and maintaining said element adjacent the trailing edge portion of said surface, and means for holding said element and permitting said surface to pass thereunder as said member moves from said second position to said first position.

2. Apparatus of the character described comprising an article-receiving. member having a horizontally disposed upper surface, means for rotating said member in a horizontal plane between a first and second position and back to said first position, a head element having a plurality of equally circumferentially spaced wipers mounted thereon, each of said wipers having a lower edge surface lying in a plane slightly above the plane of said surface, means for rotating said head element about a common axis with said receiving member whereby one of said wipers will be disposed adjacent a trailing edge portion of said surface as said member moves from said first position to said second position, and means for halting movement of said head element as said member returns to said first position whereby said. one wiper will intercept an article carried on. said surface as. said surface passes subjacent said wiper.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 2 in which said receiving member moves along an arc of approximately ninety degrees, and there are four wipers with each of the latter being advanced during each cycle of movement of said member.

4. Apparatus for receiving articles from a first position and transferring them onto a horizontal scale platform spaced from said position comprising, a member having a horizontally disposed article-receiving surface disposed above said platform, means for rotating and reciprocating said member from and to said first position and a second position overlying said platform, a head element having a plurality of equally circumferentially spaced wipers mounted thereon, each of said wipers having a lower edge surface lying in a plane slightly above the plane of said surface, means for rotating said head element about a common axis with said receiving member whereby one of said wipers will be disposed adjacent a trailing edge portion of said surface as said member moves from said first position to said second position, and means for halting rotation of said head element when said member returns from said second position to said first position whereby said one wiper will intercept an article on said surface and deposit such article onto said platform.

5. Apparatus of the character described comprising, a horizontally disposed article-receiving member, means for reciprocating said member along a horizontal arcuate path from a first position to a second position and back again, a wiper element having a lower edge surface lying in a horizontal plane slightly above the plane of said member, means for rotating said element in timed relation with rotation of said member as said member moves from said first to said second position whereby said element will be adjacent the trailing edge surface of said member, means for continuing rotation of said element for a relatively short distance, and means for effecting contra rotation of said element for said short distance when said member is rotating back towards said first position.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim in which said additional short distance of rotation of said wiper element is in the range of four to ten degrees.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5 in which spring means are utilized to return said wiper element through said short distance of rotation.

8. Article receiving and conveying apparatus including a member having a horizontally disposed upper articlereceiving surface, means for rotating said member about a vertical axis between a first and second position and back to said first position, said positions being spaced apart a number of degrees forming an equal divisible segment of a complete revolution, a head element having a plurality of equally circumferentially spaced wipers mounted thereon, each of said wipers having a lower edge surface lying in a plane slightly above the plane of said surface, means for rotating said head element about a common axis with said receiving member whereby one of said Wipers will be disposed adjacent a trailing edge portion of said surface as said member moves from said first position to said second position, means for continuing rotation of said head element for several degrees after said member reaches said second position, means for halting movement of said head element as said member returns to said first position whereby said one of said wipers will intercept an article carried on said surface as said surface passes subjacent said wiper, and means for effecting contra rotation of said head element for said several degrees after said member passes said wiper.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8 in which the number of wipers on said head element is equal to the number of said segments in a complete revolution.

10. Apparatus of the type described comprising a horizontally disposed article-receiving member, a first clutch member, means for rotating sa'd first clutch member, a second clutch member normally positioned in spaced inoperative relation with said first clutch member, means effecting interengagement of said clutch members for a single revolution, crank means interconnecting said second clutch member and said receiving member for imparting reciprocal rotary movement to the latter about a vertical axis, a head element having a plurality of Wipers mounted on said axis, and means interconnecting said receiving member and element for driving said head element in one direction of rotation of said member and for preventing rotation of said element during contra rotation thereof.

11. Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 in which said last named means includes a plurality of drive pins on said head element and a pawl member carried by said receiving member sequentially engageable with one of said pins.

12. Apparatus as set forth in claim 10 in which said receiving member and said head element are journaled on a common vertical shaft, and including cam means for advancing said head element through a few degrees of rotation approximately intermediate of the reciprocation of said receiving member, and means for returning said head element for said few degrees of rotation during return movement of said receiving member.

13. Article transfer mechanism for receiving articles in one position and depositing the same on a horizontally disposed weighing platform, comprising a horizontally disposed article-receiving member lying in a horizontal plane overlying said platform, means for rotatably reciprocating said member along an arcuate path and in a horizontal plane between a first receiving position horizontally spaced from said platform to a second position overlying said platform and disposed along an arc of approximately degrees from the receiving position, four equally circumferentially spaced wiper elements, each having a lower edge surface lying in a horizontal plane slightly above the plane of said member, means for rotating said wiper elements with said member during movement of the latter from said first to said second position and for halting movement thereof during return movement of said member with sequential ones of said vanes being disposed in adjacent relationship with said member when the latter is in said second position whereby upon movement of said member back to its said first position, articles supported thereon will be engaged by said wiper and deposited upon said scale platform.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,637,420 Klein Aug. 2, 1927 2,089,068 Newell et al. Aug. 3, 1937 2,229,502 Herbert Jan. 21, 1941 2,703,653 Thomson Mar. 8, 1955 

